In Poland, this school year, the Ministry of Education introduced health education as a new, non-compulsory subject. From the outset, it was clear that attendance would be low; however, there are cases reported where students remain enrolled in the classes yet do not attend. Maciej Rusiecki, the director of V LO in Warsaw, highlighted that many first-year students are registered, but only a few attend each session, indicating a significant discrepancy between enrollment numbers and actual presence in class.

Rusiecki elaborated that while the absences count towards the overall attendance rate, the reality is that health education lacks formal evaluation, leading to a sense of absurdity surrounding the situation. For instance, out of 500 students in a school in Łódź, only 13 have opted out of the health education class, raising questions about student engagement and the effectiveness of this new curriculum, particularly when classes are scheduled at unfavorable times.

This phenomenon of enrolled students failing to attend raises broader issues regarding the appeal and organizational structure of non-compulsory subjects in Polish schools. Stakeholders must consider solutions to enhance participation in such important subjects that aim to improve students' well-being and health literacy, potentially reevaluating how these classes are integrated into the student schedule for better results.